I See It in Her Eyes
by Watch Out for Yellow Moon
Summary: The sparkle in her eyes disappear. Ron knows Hermione's lying. But why? Why doesn't she love him anymore? Read and find out!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is a Draco and Hermione post-Hogwarts story. There are 4 chapters total, with the first acting more as a prologue. The following chapters are also short, but not as short. I begin each story with lyrics of a song. I edited the lyrics to fit my story a bit better. If you want to know the artist or song, just let me know. Enjoy!**

_If you could only see the way she loves me  
Then maybe you would understand  
Why I feel this way about our love  
And what I must do  
If you could only see how her eyes can be when she says  
When she says she loves me_

Ron was pacing back and forth across his living room. He was going over what Hermione had said over and over in his head.

"_You know I love you."_

Of course she loved him. Ever since the summer before seventh year she loved him. Ever since that moment their eyes met and lips touched for the first time.

"_You know I love you."_

But her eyes. Her eyes told a different story. The golden specks that freckled her hazel eyes stopped shining as she told him that. The same way they stopped shining whenever she lied.

"_You know I love you."_

Why would she lie to him? Why would she lie to him about their love? Why?

Ron's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a knock on the door. He tried to shake the haunting words away as he opened the door to find Harry standing there.

"Hey mate, how's things?"

Ron stood dumbfounded for but a moment before he answered, "Fine, just fine."

Harry looked at Ron intently, knowing everything was indeed not fine.

"What's wrong, Ron? You and Hermione get into another row?" Harry asked as he walked in and shut the door.

Ron hesitated before he answered. "No, it's just, well you're both of ours best mate, right?"

"Yeah, of course."

"And you would tell me if you thought Hermione was acting, well, a little out of sorts, right?"

"That goes without saying."

"Right then. Well, um, I don't think Hermione loves me anymore."

Harry stood for a moment, confused about what was just said. "What?"

"I said I don't think that Hermione loves me anymore. When she told me she loved me earlier, I could swear she was lying."

"C'mon Ron. You can't be bloody serious. Of course Hermione loves you."

And then Ron saw it again. A lie in the eyes of his best friend.

"Harry, you and Hermione aren't…" Ron looked at his friend closely, a hint of broken heartedness in his eyes. "Are you?"

"Bloody hell Ron, of course not."

"Then why are you lying? Why are both of you lying to me?!" Ron was starting to get angry now, and it showed in his voice.

"Because Ron, no one wants to hurt you. Now know this, I'm not with Hermione nor have I ever been, but she has been seeing someone else."

Ron stood there, looking slightly defeated.

"Okay Ron, just sit down. I tell you, I'll tell you everything, even though Merlin knows I wish it wasn't me who has to say this."

Ron's anger was coming on full force now. "What if I don't want to bloody sit down?!"

"Then don't, just listen to me." Harry began walking around, avoiding his friend's gaze. "Hermione has been seeing someone else for a couple of months now. Me and Ginny found out three weeks ago, but we didn't want to go to you right away. We talked to Hermione first and she said she'd end it. She swore that. But apparently she hasn't."

"WHO IS IT THEN?" Ron roared.

"Ron," Harry said before sighing, "It's Draco. She's been seeing Draco Malfoy."

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**A/N: (again) Sorry. I know it's super short, but hopefully cliffy enough to keep you reading. Just so you know, the story is completely written, but I plan on spreading out the updates. Watch for an update Wednesday!**

**Please Review!!!!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks to the two people who reviewed last chapter, Yee Mun and Nalye. You guys made it possible for me to update without feeling absolutely terrible!!! And now, chapter 2 as promised.**

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_If I lay here, if I just lay here  
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?_

_Forget what we're told  
Before we get too old?_

Hermione was lying there, wrapped in Draco's arms.

"Draco…"

"Yeah?"

"Can we stay like this forever?"

"Forever and more, Hermione."

Hermione propped herself up on her elbow so that she could look Draco in the eyes. "Don't lie to me," she said softly.

"What do you mean?"

"You know that we can't stay like this forever."

"Of course we can. We can stay like this forever, just you and me in this world. Actually, forget the world, we can make it just you and me. Nobody else, nothing else."

"What about Ron, Draco? I can't keep lying to him. Today, when I told him I loved him, I straight out lied. I can't do that. It hurts. I can't lie to him anymore."

"Then tell him. Tell him about us."

"I can't do that either."

"We can do it together." Draco propped himself to meet Hermione's gaze. "Let's do it now. Let's go there and tell him that you love me, not him, and there's nothing to be done about it."

Hermione laughed at the thought of Draco's words. "It's not that simple, and you know it. Nothing's ever that simple." Hermione laid back down and looked at the ceiling. She stared at the ceiling intently and after a couple of moments she tilted her head slightly, as if to get a different view. Draco laughed as she did this. "Do you see something? A speck of dust, perhaps?"

"No, I see something else. Come look at it."

So Draco laid down next to her and stared at the ceiling, his head tilted at the same angle. He looked where Hermione's finger was pointed as she said, "See, right there. It looks like a face."

"I don't see it."

"It's there. She's crying, or something."

"What do you mean she's crying?"

"Well, it looks like a woman who's crying is all."

"I guess I'll need to get someone to dust the ceiling," he said as he turned once again to look at Hermione. "Do you really think we can't be together?"

"I never said that."

"But that's what you meant. You're too afraid to break Weasley's heart, so we can't be together."

Hermione shifted so that she had Draco's arm cradling her. "I never said we couldn't be together. We're together now aren't we?"

"Yeah, but just physically. We're not together in a sense that we are totally devoted to each other. And that's the kind of together I want us to be. I want us to be so close that it hurts to be apart."

Hermione closed her eyes tight, trying to stop the tears that were immanent. She knew exactly what Draco meant. Sure, right now they were together. Sure, they loved each other. But there was a wall that was stopping them from belonging to only each other. It was a wall that Hermione put up when she realized she was developing feelings for Draco.

_-flashback-_

The war had been won nearly three years ago, and Hermione and Ron were still going strong. She thought that Ron was _the one_, the one she was meant to spend the rest of her life with. He was perfect in her eyes. Strong, good looking, and had a grin that gave Hermione a warm and safe feeling in her gut.

But then one holiday, as Hermione stormed out of their flat and onto the street crying after a fight that she didn't even remember the start of, she ran into Draco Malfoy. She hadn't seen him in years, since the end of the war. Draco of course played a big part in their victory, but he disappeared after learning of the death of his mother.

He stopped her in the middle of the street as she tried to continue running. "Holy shite! Granger? What's wrong? What's going on?" he asked as he looked around for a possible assailant.

She looked up into the hot silver eyes of a man who was no longer a boy. "Malfoy. Oh Malfoy" she cried as she threw herself into his arms. He was quite taken aback by this sudden showing of emotion and frankly, the helplessness that Hermione was showing. He didn't know what to do. Honestly, he hadn't held a woman in a long time and it was comforting to feel that someone needed him to hold them.

"Granger, try not to choke me, okay?" he said as he wrapped his arms around her, more protectively than he intended to. Looking down at her tear-streaked face he said more kindly, "Let's get out of here. We can talk."

Hermione numbly nodded and let him lead her away.

A few months later after spending time with Draco and helping him get reintroduced into the wizarding world, Hermione realized she was starting feel a little more than friendship forming. Draco had changed so much since Hogwarts, so much since the war. After his mother died Draco went to America to live as a muggle. He hated everything magic; he hated anything that reminded him of what he once had or the world that he once loved.

But he grew tired of living where people were so selfish. They knew nothing of how cruel the world was and how close it came to ending. They lived day by day trying only to make their own lives better, ignoring the world around them. Even the women weren't worth it. After a couple of emotionless one night stands, Draco stopped seeing women entirely. They were a waste of his time, his energy.

Draco became tired of it, tired of it all. He didn't necessarily want to return to London, but he felt drawn to a familiar place. He could walk the streets easily and ignore the wizards easy enough. But ever since that one day the witch he was least expecting to see literally ran into him, he changed.

Draco saw something in Hermione he never saw before. During the war they were simple allies that acted civilly towards each other. They worked together day after day and when the war came they fought side by side. **a**He saw Hermione only as a foolish and proud girl; she was still a mudblood in his eyes. But she was a mudblood who could help win a war and that was all. Between Hermione and Ron's budding relationship and Draco's life as he knew it falling apart, Draco felt little in common with Gryffindor lioness. Until that day, that fateful day. She looked so helpless, so broken, so much like he felt on the inside. He couldn't help but want to help her. Slowly he found how alike they were. Both of them felt pressure to be perfect, so much pressure that it nearly crushed them. And both of them were broken after the war. Draco more so, but Hermione felt nothing but the aftershocks that slowly began to crack her.

After sharing that day, they became friends. They spent a lot of time together, and Draco started noticing things in Hermione that he hadn't before. Maybe they didn't exist before. Had Hermione's eyes always glowed so brightly when she laughed? Had her smile always been so shy that he never noticed it? Had she always smelled of a hint of lilies and honey? Had she changed so much since he was gone? Draco wasn't sure. But he knew he was starting to feel something for Hermione that he had never felt before.

_-end flashback-_

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**A/N: That's chapter 2 for you! Still short, but not as short as chapter 1. I hope you liked it. I know I liked it hella more than chapter 1 myself, but still not as much as chapter 3. I'll post chapter 3 Friday night/Sunday morning. **

**Please review!!!!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Just enjoy!!!**

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_When you go  
Would you even turn to say  
"I don't love you  
Like I did  
Yesterday"_

The only thing that countered the anger on Ron's face was his voice. "DRACO MALFOY! Hermione's been seeing that, that ferret behind my back?!"

Harry looked a little panicked at his friend's reaction. "Ron, you need to get control of yourself! Don't lose your head over this."

"What do you mean, don't lose my head? You just told me that the woman I love is going around with another man. And not just any bloody man, Draco bloody Malfoy! How could you have not told me, Harry? We're supposed to be best mates. Best mates, Harry."

Harry couldn't meet Ron's pressing gaze. "I should have told you when I found out. I'm sorry Ron. But I couldn't bring myself to hurt you like that. And when Hermione told me that she would end it, I believed her. She lied to me too, mate." Harry truthfully looked at Ron as he said, "I'm sorry, so sorry."

Now Ron was sitting, holding his head in his hands, rocking gently back and forth. He looked up at his friends with eyes that were holding back tears. "What am I supposed to do, Harry? What can I do?"

"Talk to her Ron. If you still feel you can love her after all that's been done, then let her know that. You two are strong and you guys can get over this, and maybe even grow stronger."

Ron sat starting at the floor for a moment before he stood up. "Yeah, I'm not so sure, but I guess you're right. I have to talk to her. I'll talk to her tonight. I will. You know, thanks for telling me, Harry. Really, you are a true friend no matter what." Ron moved in to give Harry a hug and they embraced for a few seconds before breaking apart.

"I'm not sure what to say to her, though. I don't know what to say."

"Just say what you feel. Everything will work itself out. I know it will, Ron."

"Thanks again Harry. You should get going now, I need some time to think to myself."

"Sure thing. If you need anything, anything at all, you know where to find me."

And with that Harry disapperated leaving Ron alone with his thoughts.

Ron sat for a while before he started pacing around the flat that he and Hermione had shared for the past four years. Four years, four long years of what Ron thought was bliss. Of course they had the occasional row once and while, but those were immediately remedied when Ron realized what a git he was being. But they always made up, no matter what the fight was Hermione always forgave him.

But earlier, how could he explain that? After years of loving him, how could she just stop one day?

Or is he that blind? If she's been with Malfoy for months, her love must have been fading slowly, like the color from leaves in the fall. And then suddenly, one day you notice the color is gone completely. You feel left alone in a dead world, a world devoid of color and life… and love.

Ron felt so lost, so utterly confused. What would he say to her? What could he say to her? As far as Ron knew, nothing could be said. He wasn't even sure if he could even look at her again knowing that her eyes shined for someone else and her heart belonged to another, her body longing for him for all Ron knew. Gods, what was he supposed to do?

Hermione was all that Ron lived for since at least fourth year. Even back then it nearly killed him seeing her with Viktor Krum; she dressed up beautifully for the Yule ball, dressed up for Viktor. And so it went on like that until the summer before seventh year. Ron never made a move on Hermione and took out his anger and jealousy on her when she even talked to another boy.

Then the war started and Bill and Fleur's wedding offered a last chance for his family and friends to act normally. It was a beautifully summer wedding, the way a wedding should be. Hermione was a bridesmaid, which she opposed thoroughly but she couldn't bring herself to reject Fleur's request, as Fleur had no friends or family willing to come to England in the midst of a war. On the wedding day Ron walked Hermione down the aisle arm in arm. His dress robes matched perfectly with Hermione's gown, a flowing white dress that fit her perfectly.

That night Ron grabbed Hermione away from the festivities and brought her out to the lone spot that offered seclusion that night. A small grove of trees provided the perfect shelter for the privacy he wanted.

_-flashback-_

"Ronald, honestly. Why are you bringing me out here?" Hermione complained out loud but really she didn't care. She was actually happy. She gladly let Ron grab hold of her hand and lead her away from the party. When they reached the trees she asked again. "Ron, what are we doing?"

He answered her with a simple, chaste kiss on the lips. She wasn't expecting that. They stood and looked each other in the eyes, his searching for some sign of approval. She wasn't sure how much time went by before she moved closer to him. "Ron", was all she muttered before she reached for his face. He savored the soft touch for a moment before he pulled Hermione to him and they kissed, their lips meeting in passion. The next thing Hermione knew was that her back was against a tree and one of Ron's hands was tangled in her hair and the other firmly gripping her hip as he pressed his body needingly against hers.

They heard cheers from the distant reception tent and broke apart, panting. Ron smiled at Hermione, grabbed both her hands and leaned in, whispering "I love you" before gently kissing her neck decorated with nothing but a silver chain and a tear-drop pearl.

Their kisses became passionate again, and they broke apart once more. This time Hermione was the one smiling. "I love you too, Ron."

_-end flashback-_

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**A/N: One thing I'm trying to do in this story is make Ron not the biggest, stupidest git in the world. I don't like stories that make Ron a mentally handicapped asshole. So, anyways. Short chapter, as always. One chapter left. It is written but I'm going to rewrite it, so I'll say that I'll update at latest in a week. Maybe earlier. We'll see.**

**Don't forget to review!!!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm sorry this chapter took me so long to put up, but I had really set on rewriting it, but that never happened. So... I'm posting it as is, and if later I feel I need to do some major revising (which I'm sure I will) I will change it. Please enjoy!!!**

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_I'll say what I should and just hope you believe me _

_But it never gets easier _

_Sink into myself again _

_I can't hear a word you've said _

_The syllables _

_The sounds just aren't sentences _

_And all I really want to do is tear straight into you _"Do you need to leave now? You've been here for hours already. You might as well spend the night. If Ron doesn't have a clue by now what you're up to…"

Draco walked from the kitchen to where Hermione was sitting by the fireplace. As he approached her she held her hands out to receive the tea he had brought for her.

"I know, Draco. I'm sure he's figured something out."

Hermione looked into her cup held between her hands. Her eyes were a sea of confusion.

"What's wrong Hermione? If you're scared to back, I'll go with you."

"It's not that. Did I tell you that Harry and Ginny know about us?"

Draco looked surprised. They were always so careful. When they were in public they always refrained from showing any part of their relationship outside of their friendship.

"How long have they known? And how did they find out?"

Hermione continued to stare into her cup as she said, "Remember three weeks ago when went to Diagon Alley to shop? We picked those pots for you and I bought that picture of a coast in Italy."

"I remember" Draco said, urging Hermione to continue.

"Before we ate we were walking and we passed a flower stand right outside that café we at once."

"And?"

"You grabbed a small bouquet of lilies and gave them to me, then you whispered in my ear and kissed me on the cheek."

Draco smiled briefly at the memory and then said, "But no one could have seen that, we were behind the stand, not right in the alley."

"But Harry and Ginny were in the café and they saw us walk by. Harry got up to say hello and saw you just as you kissed me. Then later the next day he and Ginny confronted me. I promised them I'd stop seeing you, but I couldn't. I couldn't stop Draco."

Hermione finally looked into Draco's eyes. "I should have told you earlier. I'm sorry."

"No, no… it's alright. They're just two less people in the world who will be surprised when we get in the open."

Hermione let out a frail laugh as she spun the tea in her cup. "I guess you're right. You're always right." She took a small sip and looked up at Draco. "Let's go."

"What?"

"Let's go. Right now. We'll tell Ron and then I'll pack as much as I can and we'll come back here."

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I've never been more sure."

Draco could see that she was lying, but her face showed that she felt it was now or never.

"Okay. Just let me grab my wand."

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Ron was sitting on their bed talking aloud to himself.

"Where is she? Where is she? I swear, if she's not back in…" he looked at the clock, flashing 12:50, "ten minutes I'm going to get her. Wherever she is… I'll bring her back."

Ron was saying the same thing for hours: "ten minutes, ten minutes."

He watched the time tick by, slower by the minute. He dreaded the change from one minute to the next. When the clock changed to 12:59 he stood up and started pacing around the room. Walking back and forth, looking at the clock. 1:00.

"Shit!" Ron yelled as he heard a loud crack coming from another room.

He pulled out his wand and quietly put a charm on his feet, so not to make a sound. He could hear harsh whispering as he started walking out the room. The flat they lived in was unplottable, but that didn't mean that the few remaining Death Eaters couldn't find it. Ron and Hermione were told to use the utmost discretion when revealing their living quarters. Harry and Ginny were of the few that knew where they lived.

As Ron stalked through the hallway, his auror training flashed through his head. All the warnings he had to memorize, the rules of engagement that became automatic flooded his mind. Moody taught him to act and then ask questions. Do then think. The easiest target is the one caught in thought. Ron readied his wand as he approached the living room. The whispers were getting louder, but were still unclear. The time to act was now, while the enemy was unaware of his immediate presence.

Ron hurled him self forward and screamed "Avada Kedavra!" while trying to aim towards the voices. Somehow, during the war, Ron's instinct changed from stupefying to assuming an enemy is better dead than being allowed to remain an enemy.

As the flash of green lit the room Ron hit the floor with a thud. He fell on his side with such force that his shoulder popped out as he landed. His head spun with the sudden pain and he was aware of nothing around him. As he struggled to open his eyes and sit up, he heard a cry of such misery that he thought he was back on the battlefield listening to moans of loss.

But he was brought back to reality by a scream of "You! You! You killed her!"

The room suddenly lit with a bright yellow light. Ron blinked several times before looking on a scene he hoped was nothing but a hallucination. Malfoy was kneeling over the slumped body of Hermione, her lifeless eyes wide open. Malfoy was rocking over her body while stroking her hair and holding her limp hand. "No… no…," he whispered.

Ron was motionless. He didn't even know what he was looking at. That wasn't Hermione. She wasn't dead. She couldn't be. That was someone else. A Death Eater. An intruder. Anyone but Hermione.

Draco stopped moving. He looked over at Ron, hate in his eyes. He stood up and walked over to Ron, still unmoving. "You did this to her. You know what this means." He grabbed Ron off the ground and with a quick jerk popped Ron's shoulder back into place.

"A duel. Now." With a wave of his wand, Malfoy made the furniture move away and the walls shift to give them a proper room to fight.

Ron, too stunned to react, stood frozen in front of Malfoy.

"Prepare to defend yourself or suffer the pain you deserve." Malfoy steadied his wand hand and waited for a reaction.

Suddenly, Ron was back in the war, facing Lucius Malfoy. Ron raised his wand and stood in the dueling position.

"Crucio!" Malfoy screamed, aiming at Ron's heart. Ron deflected the curse and quickly returned with the stupefying charm.

Malfoy merely whirled his body around to avoid the spell as he screamed "Crucio!" again. His speed and aim were true as Ron fell to the ground screaming and convulsing in pain.

Draco stood still, breathing and watching Ron thrash on the floor. "You deserve this. You took her away from me!"

"NO!" Ron managed to yell out between the cries of torture.

An endless moment later Malfoy muttered, "Finite incantum". Ron lay motionless, panting heavily. Slowly he stood, muscles twitching, but still strong and looked Malfoy in the eyes.

"I didn't do this to her. You did. The day you took her from me you condemned her."

"NO!!! You killed her. You killed her." Draco peered into the eyes of Ron.

"No, I loved her."

"I LOVED HER!" Draco screamed. "You don't know what love is. What we had was love. What you felt was something else. It wasn't love."

Ron stood there, breathing heavy. "Well, now neither of us have her, do we?"

"And you'll pay for that."

"She was mine Malfoy. You had no right to take her from me."

"I didn't take her. She came to me. If it weren't for your idiocy, we would've never even met again. So I guess I should thank you. Your foolishness led to the happiest time of my life."

"LIAR!! She would never choose to be with you. She would rather… she would rather…"

"Die? Well you arranged that didn't you."

Ron's face emptied of color. He killed her. He killed the only person he's ever loved. But he didn't mean to. It was _his_ fault. If Malfoy had only been standing in her place, he'd be the one dead.

Ron raised his wand. Malfoy raised his. They looked each other dead in the eye, hatred filling both. They both held their breath, waiting for the other to flinch, make any sign of movement. But both stood still, their vision fogging with emotion.

Ron blinked and took a deep breath. Now. Now was the time to attack.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" both shouted at the same time.

One fell, but through the green light he saw a face, smiling at him with those hazel eyes. They were shining and he heard a faint "I love you."

**A/N: The final one... so. yeah. I hope you liked it. Please leave a review letting me know what you thought/felt/want to rant about. idk. Thanks for reading!!!!!**


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